Shoppers prefer bargain stores Aldi and Lidl

For the first time ever, budget stores Aldi and Lidl have beaten Marks and Spencers in an annual supermarket satisfaction report. Thanks to the appeal of their low prices and special offers.

A survey conducted by consumer group Which? revealed that for the third year running members placed Waitrose in first place, scoring 83 per cent praising both staff and products.

However, the big four supermarkets – Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons – failed to impress customers in comparison to Aldi and Lidl which came in second and third place, with Marks and Spencer’s falling to fourth place.

The budget stores were praised by customers for value and quality of fresh produce, one shopper involved in the survey said: “I’m a new Aldi shopper and it’s surpassed all expectation”.

The lowest joint score given went to Tesco and the Co-operative with a source of 46 per cent.

The Co-operative were awarded only two of out five stars on a range of subjects, which included customer service, own brand products and store environment.

A spokesman for the Co-operative said: “Clearly we are disappointed by these results, but we are working hard to modernise the business and are investing heavily in improving all aspects of our offer, including product quality and availability”.

Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which? said: “The tough economy and rising food prices have seen cash-strapped consumers heading to the discounters for their low prices and special offers”.

“Aldi and Lidl have climbed to second and third place this year, overtaking Marks and Spencer. And this doesn’t mean compromising on taste, as our tests show they sell a range of products that compete with the premium brands”.

A spokesman for Tesco said: “We’re disappointed and a little surprised by these results”.

“They don’t tally with our own measures of customer satisfaction on our experience in talking to some of the millions of people who shop in store and online with us every week”.

“We want to keep our customers happy and invest hugely in doing so, by offering great value, providing excellent quality products and by constantly developing new products and service to meet changing customer service demand”.